He emigrated to Odessa, Russia, with his parents and about 400 others, in 1804, and adopted his father's trade, that of a maker of wooden musical instruments.

In 1820 the preaching of Ignatius Lindl, a Roman Catholic priest of evangelical views, turned his thoughts toward religion, and he resolved to devote his life to mission work.

After serving as an independent missionary in Turkey in 1826, he made his way to the United States, with no property but his clothes, his flute, and one dollar in money, and entered Andover Theological Seminary, where he supported himself for a time by turning wooden bed-posts.

Schauffler married Mary Reynolds[1] (1802-1895) on the 24th of February, 1834,[2][3] and resided chiefly in Constantinople during his missionary service of forty-four years, laboring principally among the Jews and Armenians.

In 1843 he was instrumental in persuading Sir Stratford Canning, the British minister, to interfere in behalf of members of the latter race that had been persecuted by the Armenian patriarch.